Lyon's Gate (Sherbrooke Brides 9)

“Eclipse?” Elgin said. “He’s been dead for years and years. He wasn’t bred in America.”

“The same name and, I hope, a similar future. I believe my Eclipse may be as fast as Dodger.”

“An American horse named Eclipse, just what we need,” Charles said. “What do you say we try to make this one a straight race?”

“I know that Kindred and Potter will spread the word.”

“What is your punishment?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Jason said. When he took his leave a few moments later, Lady Grimsby stopped him at the front door. “Thank you, Jason. How I’ve hated all this deception, hated having to pander to this paltry young man. I have wanted Elaine since she was born, you see. How very grateful I am to my husband for making you his victim. Thank you for what you have accomplished. Give my regards to your lovely wife.”

Jason’s lovely wife was sitting on the ground, covered with dust, yelling at the top of her lungs at Charlemagne, who’d thrown her trying to get to the mare who’d been delivered to Dodger.

Jason pulled her up, dusted her off, kissed her nose. “I’ve been thinking. Why don’t we breed a mare to Charlemagne? He’s a bighearted fellow, arrogant as his namesake. Who knows, with the proper mare, we might produce a legend.”

“Charlemagne, a legend,” Hallie said, and laughed.

CHAPTER 43

Lyon’s Gate

Ten Months Later

Jason would later swear her scream shook the house. After all these interminable hours, he couldn’t imagine she’d have the breath, much less the strength to yell, but she did. He thought the bones in his hand would break she squeezed so tightly.

“She’s getting there,” Dr. Blood shouted over that scream. “Not long now. A bit over nine hours, not too long at all.”

Hallie slitted her eyes up at Theodore Blood, who was racing mad and liked nothing more than to be invited to Lyon’s Gate to watch Dodger and Eclipse train, and panted, “Nine hours isn’t long, you buffoon? Why don’t we trade places?”

He paled—Jason would swear that Theo paled. He didn’t blame him. He himself was exhausted, out of his mind with worry, but compared to the pain she was enduring, it was nothing. He leaned close, kissed her. “Theo would apologize for that stupid remark, but he’s too close to babbling with fear. Now, sweetheart, that was a really meaty yell. Do it again, that’s it. It won’t be long now.”

She screamed, gone from him for a long moment.

Jason cursed, wiped her sweaty forehead with a cool, wet cloth. “I’m so sorry, curse me some more, that will make it better. Your father said Genny encouraged you to learn new ones just last month.”

“I didn’t believe her,” Hallie said. “I’m as stupid as Theo. I didn’t believe her.” Her grip on his hand tightened. “Oh damn you, Jason. I hope you rot in the deepest pit in Hell, you and all men, you miserable, horse-breathed toad—” She broke off, panting, then she was gone again, whimpering. Then she screamed again, her back arching off the bed. Jason felt the contraction rip through her. Theo out-yelled her. “You’ve done it, Hallie! Nearly there. Push, Hallie. Push! Now, that’s it.”

“Damn you to the blackest pit with the rest of the idiot men—oh God, oh God—”

“Push!”

She gritted her teeth and pushed.

Jason said, “That’s it, sweetheart. That’s it, my beautiful brave girl.”

Hallie yelled at him between pants, “You pickle-eyed Satan, that’s what you said to Piccola when she was birthing her foal!” and she yelled again through her gritted teeth.

At a nod from Theo, Jason said, “Again, Hallie, again!”

“I am pushing, curse your black soul and your sinful smiles that landed me in this mess in the first place.”

“Ah, I’ve got him! Ah, yes, it’s a boy and he’s perfect. Oh my, you should listen to those lungs, loud as his mother’s—but wait, what’s this, oh my, another one—it’s another baby, oh goodness me, this is a surprise, but it shouldn’t be now, should it? Oh dear, I didn’t think, didn’t guess, and I should have. Yes, Hallie, push, but not much. I don’t have enough hands! Jason, come here now!”

Jason caught his daughter in his outstretched hands. She opened a tiny mouth and yelled as loud as her brother. He stared down at the tiny being in his hands, at the fingers that were no larger than the splinters Jason had pulled out of Henry’s thumb yesterday. Theo and the midwife, Mrs. Hanks, who were both laughing at this unexpected surprise, quickly got themselves together. Mrs. Hanks took the babe from Jason, saying over and over, “Isn’t this just grand? Two of them at once, another set of twins in the family. Oh, isn’t she beautiful? Just like her daddy.”

“And her brother.”

Jason looked over at Theo Blood, who held his son, singing to him even as he cleaned him up. Neither of them stopped yelling. He quickly washed and dried his hands, then leaned over Hallie, and wiped the sweat off her face. “They’re perfect,” he said, and kissed her. “They’re incredible, Hallie, you’re incredible. You’ve given me two babes, a boy and a girl. Oh God, this is too much for a man to take in.”